Currently, there are many products commercially available to assist people in walking their dogs. One such product is a retractable dog leash. The retractable dog leash typically includes a rounded box-like housing defining a closed handle at one end. The housing retains a length of strap that is stored in a coiled configuration around a reel located within the housing, and is retractable to and from the housing through a port. The retractable dog leash further includes a retraction mechanism for selectively retracting the strap into the housing. The retracting mechanism can be, for example, a conventional torsion spring mechanism attached to the center of the reel in the interior of the housing that automatically retracts the strap inside the housing. The strap ends in a fastening mechanism, such as a clip, that engages with a ring or the like on the dog's collar.
While these retractable dog leashes perform well for its given task, they sometimes create other problems for the user. For example, the closed handle is awkward to grasp, resulting in the user either loosing control of or dropping the leash. This is especially evident when the retractable dog leash is used to walk larger dogs, which can pull or yank the handle away from the grasp of the user. Once the user's grasp of the handle is gone, the dog may be free to run off, etc.
Therefore, there is a need for a coupling device that assists a user hand in maintaining attachment to a closed handled device, such as the retractable dog leash, in the event the user looses her grasp of the handle.